Education

TCD Students’ Union warns it will take ‘seriously damaging’ actions against university if fees increased

University provost Dr Linda Doyle wrote to students and staff on Monday describing letter from TCDSU, understood to relate to blocking access to the Book of Kells, as ‘very concerning’

Trinity College, Dublin

Jack White
Mon Apr 29 2024 - 22:35

The provost of Trinity College Dublin (TCD) has described threats made by its students’ union to take seriously damaging actions in light of proposed fee increases as “very concerning”.

Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) warned that students will take actions that are “seriously damaging to the reputation and finances of the university” if the increases go ahead.

The union claimed senior management is proposing a 2.3% Masters fee increase as well as a 10% increase for some programmes in the next academic year.

TCDSU said any fee increase would hurt students “who already face the cost of commuting, unaffordability of accommodation and the rising cost of living”.

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Dr Linda Doyle, provost of Trinity College Dublin, issued an email to staff and students on Monday evening advising that she received a “very concerning” email promising to cause serious financial and reputational damage to TCD.

“It was accompanied by an ultimatum to remove, by close of business today, an item from the agenda of tomorrow’s meeting of the Finance Committee. The agenda item relates to fee rates for one-year Masters’ degrees,” she said.

The letter, issued to Ms Doyle on Sunday as well as other members of the university, including the Board, reads:

“Provost Linda Doyle, this is your final and formal notice of escalation. Remove the masters’ fee increases as well as the fee derogations amounting to more than +0.00% from the agenda of the Finance Committee of April 30th, and replace them with a fee freeze proposal.

“If you fail to do so by April 29th COB, students will take actions that are seriously damaging to the reputation and finances of the university.”

Trinity College Dublin provost Dr Linda Doyle. Photograph: Bryan Meade

Ms Doyle wrote that the threat is “not acceptable”, adding: “I think it is important for you all to realise that the threat to seriously damage the finances of the university will impact each one of us negatively.”

“I can only assume this damage refers to blocking access to the Book of Kells. Though Trinity is a public university, it cannot survive solely on Government funding and must find other sources of income. It would be great if that were not the case, but this is our reality,” she said.

Ms Doyle told students the income received from tourism surrounding the Book of Kells keeps the university going, adding that any loss of income from it directly affects its ability to deliver services to students.

“I want to underline that there is no problem with protest. But the rules of the university must be followed, and Trinity’s statutes and rules stipulate that while protest is allowed on campus, it is not permitted to disrupt the normal operation of activities in college,” she wrote.

“This is not the kind of email I like writing. There have already been disruptions to the normal operations of College this year. We have been patient in engaging with those involved but the email from the Students’ Union cannot be ignored and we will be following up further,” she told students.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, TCDSU president László Molnárfi said It is only natural for a union to escalate its actions when students’ pleas go ignored.

“It is so disappointing that the College is attempting to turn its own students against each other, and its own union, especially during exam times.

“This represents an escalation by university management against its own students. It also represents an escalation against its own staff, many of whom will not agree with this email,” he wrote.

Jack White

Jack White

Jack White is a reporter for The Irish Times

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